Movies in the Great Hall

Thursday

Oct 18, 2007 at 2:00 AM

By Sara Rosner I&M Staff Writer

Throughout its history, the Atheneum library has been home to far more than just books. Its Great Hall has hosted some of the greatest literary figures, abolitionists and political figures of their time. The space has also been used for musical and theater performances.

This fall, the Atheneum is once again bringing movies to the Great Hall, with a film series that kicked off Monday with “Born into Brothels,” the 2005 Academy Award-winning documentary about children growing up in Calcutta’s red-light district.

The short series, called “Through a Child’s Eyes,” includes two more films screening the next two Mondays. Audiences are encouraged to experience the thrill of ballroom dance competition in New York City in “Mad Hot Ballroom” Monday, Oct. 22, and visit a Holocaust memorial in the South in “Paper Clips” Oct. 29. Both films begin at 7 p.m.

“What I love about documentaries is that they’re real people with real stories, but they’re amazing,” said Atheneum program coordinator Amy Jenness. “You really can’t imagine someone sitting down at a typewriter and producing this, but in the end, you just can’t believe it really happened.”

The series premiered Oct. 15 with “Born into Brothels,” which won the 77th Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The 2004 film, produced by filmmaker Ross Kauffman and New York photographer Zana Briski, chronicles the lives of the sons and daughters of prostitutes living in the red-light district of Calcutta as Briski gives each child a camera to document the world around them.

Jenness, who organized the series, said that she was inspired to show films that portray the voices of pre-adolescents because of their unique perspectives on their environment. “They’re just becoming aware of the world around them,” she said of the children in the films. “But in the movies, they’re also really aware of the downside of being an adult.”

“Mad Hot Ballroom” follows fifth-graders of various economic and ethnic backgrounds from three public schools in New York City as they swing and fox-trot their way to ballroom dancing championships.

The final film in the series, “Paper Clips,” will be shown on Oct. 29 and will bring the audience to Whitwell, Tenn., where the children of Whitwell Middle School convey the chilling reality of World War II concentration camps to the Appalachian mountain town of 2,000. Responding to lessons about the Holocaust, the students fill a railway car that was used to transport victims to concentration camps with 11 million paper clips. Each clip symbolizes a victim of the Holocaust.

While the “Paper Clips” project focuses on one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century, its objectives are similar to the goal of the film series on Nantucket. Jenness said that such events expose local audiences to issues that go beyond the island’s shores and also bring the community together.

“We have a balancing act where we want local people to shine but we also try and bring in things from off-island,” Jenness said. “In the winter there’s a real sense of community with people seeing each other and catching up.”

Admission is free to each film and there will be complimentary popcorn and cider.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
The Inquirer and Mirror ~ One Old South Road, Nantucket, MA 02554 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service